Device for removing snow



Sept. 4, 1962 c. G. FISKE 3,052,048

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW Filed Sept. 19, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR. CHESTER GFISKE ATTORNEYS BY zmuadz du ceifiq P 4, 1962 c. G.FISKE 3,052,048

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW Filed Sept. 19, 1960 3 SheecsSheet 2 132 m FzadI'" 4 A 12 my me v 90 INVENTOR. CHESTER G. F/SKE BY M x mz baa .ATTORNEYS Sept- 1962 c. G. FISKE 3,052,048

DEVICE FOR REMOVING snow Filed Sept. 19, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fi e. 7

III/[III],

9887 F10. a FIG 9 INVENTOR.

CHESTER G. F/SKE BY 6244114, RZ zud 1 AT TORNE YS 3,852,848 PatentedSept. 4, 1962 Free 3,052,648 DEVICE FGR REMOVING SNOW Chester G. Fislre,Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Jari Products, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 56,728 7 Claims. (Cl. 37-43) Theinvention relates to an improvement in what is generally referred to asa power-driven snowplow and more particularly to a device which collectssnow and throws it to one side of the device.

The removal of snow from sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, etc. hasforever plagued those living in the northern clirnes. Devices for movingsnow have been developed which blow the snow to one side of the device,but the same tend to clog up with snow in the blower casing and in thechute, which directs the snow from the blower casing. Further, presentday snow removers do not blow or throw snow to either side of the devicewith maximum volume or equal facility.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for collecting andthrowing snow to either side of the device in comparatively large volumeand with equal facility. It is a further object to provide asnow-removing device with which the position of the discharge chute maybe changed by simply moving a handle member.

It is an additional object to provide a snow-removal device with whichthe direction of rotation of the snowthrowing member is reversedsimultaneously with the change of position of the discharge chute.

It is a still further object to provide a device for removing snow withwhich snow does not clog up in the discharge chute. It is also an objectto provide a device for removing snow with which the snow-throwingmember is stopped when the position of the discharge chute is in aneutral or intermediate position.

' It is an additional object to provide a snow removal device includinga member having blades which throw the snow with equal facility ineither direction of rotation of the bladed member.

It will be here attempted to set forth and indicate all of the variousobjects and advantages incident to the invention, but other objects andadvantages will be referred to in or else will become apparent from thatwhich follows.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the device for receiving snow.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the device.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view some parts in section and portions of someparts removed.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 3, with thedischarge chute in a neutral position.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 with the discharge chute shown ina position for directing or throwing snow to the right of the operator.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 with the discharge chute shown ina position for directing snow to the left of the operator.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan fragmentary view showing in particular thedriving and driven discs in one position.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 8 with thedriving and driven discs in a second position.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-40 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 11 is a view on the line 11-11 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a portion of the members foreffecting the angular relationships of the main frame and the housingframe to thereby effect direction of the snow-throwing member.

FIGURE 13 is a detailed, enlarged fragmentary sectional view of thepivotal connection of the lower lug and bracket.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the rotary snowplow A includes thespaced vertical supports 10 and 12, and secured to the upper edgesthereof is the U-shaped horizontal frame member 14. An axle 16 ismounted on the supports 10 and 12 which mounts the wheels 18 and 20.Rotatably mounted on the forward upper portion of the supports 10 and 12is the transverse shaft 22 and secured to one end thereof is the drivepulley 24. Also secured to the transverse shaft 22 outboard of thesupports 10 and 12 are the hubs 26 and 28 which mount the bevelledrubber driving clutch discs 30 and 32, respectively.

The numeral 34 designates a motor mounted on the rear of the frame 14,which supplies power for operating the machine. The drive shaft 36 ofthe motor 34 has mounted thereon the pulley 38, and the belt 40 ismounted on the pulley 38 and also the pulley 24, tension on the belt 40being exerted by the spring urged idler pulley 41. The motor shaft 36thus drives the transverse shaft 22 by means of the pulleys 38 and 24and the belt 40.

Further provided is an inverted U-shaped bracket 42 which has thedepending leg portions 44 and 46 thereof secured to inside forwardportions of the vertical supports 10 and 12, respectively, and the topcross bar portion 48; secured to and extending forwardly of the crossbar portion 48 of the bracket 42 is the fixed longitudinal support bar50, which has formed on the forward end thereof the upstanding lugportion 52. The lug portion 52 mounts the short pin 54 which extendsforwardly of the lug 52 and into the lower slot 56, formed in the lowerend of the shift arm 58. The lowerend of the shift arm 58 is pivotallyconnected to the mounting lug 60, which.

extends upwardly from the upper portion 62 of the frame 64 by means ofthe pin 61. The shift arm 58 is also formed with an upper slot 59. Theframe 64 also includes the outwardly and downwardly extending frameportions 66 and 68, the lower ends of which are connected to outer endsof the outwardly and upwardly extendingframe portions 70 and 72. Thelower inner ends of the frame portions 70 and 72 are secured to thelongitudinal bearing shaft support 74, FIGURE 4.

Secured to and extending downwardly from the shaft support 74 is thevertical support '76 and secured to the to the bottom edge thereof isthe loWer longitudinal pivot bracket 78 which is pivotally secured atits rear end to the lug 80 by means of the pin 82, FIGURE 5. The rearend of the lug 80 is secured to shaft 16 by any conventional well knownmeans such as welding or the like.

The numeral 84 designates an upper pivot bracket the forward end ofwhich is secured to the upper portion 62v of the frame 64 and the rearend of which is pivotally connected to the under surface of thelongitudinal fixed support bar 50 by means of the pin bolt 86.

Further provided is the collector housing generally indicated by thenumeral 87, which includes the rear wall portion 88. The rear wallmember 88 is substantially pear-shaped in overall formation formed ofthe substantially lower circular portion 90 and the upper more or lessextended upper peak portion 92. The rear wall 88 is secured to the frameportions 70 and 72 and the vertical support 76. The housing 87 alsoincludes the forwardly extending semi-circular collar wall portion 94secured to the rear wall 88 which terminates in the forwardly extendingcollector flange portions 96 and 98. The semicircular wall portion 94terminates at its upper ends in the widened forwardly extending portions100 and 102 which leave formed thereon the forward transverse earportions 104 and 106.

Mounted in the shaft support 74 is the short shaft 108, FIGURE 5, andconnected to the rear end of the shaft 108 is the bevelled driven clutchdisc 110*. The shaft 108 extends through the rear wall portion 88, andon the forward end thereof is mounted the circular base plate 112 of therotary fan 114, FIGURE 2.

Secured to the forward face of the rotary [fan base plate 112 are amultiplicity of radially disposed blades 116 A blade 116 includes thehalf portion 118 which is formed of the base portion 120, the upstandingflat portion 122 and the outwardly inclined outer flange portion 124.The half portion 118 is backed up by a similar half portion 126 which isformed of the base portion 128, the upstanding flat portion '130 and theoutwardly inclined outer flange portion 132. The blower base plate 112may be rotated in either direction, as will be hereinafter pointed out,and as will be seen the blades 116 are eflective when rotated in eitherdirection due to the doublefaced construction heretofore described.

Further provided on the blower base plate 112 is the break-up bar 134,formed of the central elongated rod portion 136, which terminates at theends in the right angularly disposed end portions 138, which in turnterminate in the turned-in end portions 140 which are secured to theblades 116. The bar 134 breaks up the snow before it reaches the blades1*16 thereby reducing any packing of snow at the blades to an absoluteminimum.

In order that the machine may be moved about by means of the motor 34, agear 142 (FIGURE is mounted on the motor-driven shaft 22 and a gearchain 144 is mounted thereon together with a gear 146 mounted on a shaft148. The shaft 148 is mounted in a pair of bearings 150 and 152 securedto brackets 154 and 156 respectively. The brackets 154 and 156 arepivotally connected by means of the pins 158 and 160, respectively, atthe forward ends thereof, to the supports and 12, respectively. Mountedon the outer ends of the shaft 148 are the drive pinion 162 and 164which engage with toothed surface of the wheels 18 and 20, respectively.The pinions 162 and 164 are held out of engagement with the wheels 18and 20 by means of the yoke member 166, the lower free ends 167 of whichare pivotally connected to the forward ends of the brackets 154 and 156.The upper end 165 of the yoke 166 is pivotally connected to the bracket163 and a handle 161 is connected to the bracket. When the handle ispulled rearwardly over dead center, the brackets 154 and 156 are pivotedand thereby engage the pinions with the wheels.

A double-ended handle 168 is provided, which includes the uprightportions 170 and 172 secured at their lower ends to leg portions 44 and46 of the U-shaped bracket 42. The upright portions 170 and #172terminate in the handle portions 174 and 176, respectively, which areconnected at point X.

Further provided is the discharge chute member 178, which includes thesemi-circular rear wall portion 180, the a-rcuate top portion 182 andthe narrow partial front wall 184. The chute 178 is pivotally mounted onthe upper peak end 92 of the rear wall portion 88 by means of the pin186. The rear wall portion 180 of the chute 178 ismaintained in slidablecontact with the rear wall 88 by means of the spring clip guides 188 and190, the base portions 192 and 194, respectively, of which are securedto the rear wall 88.

The numeral 196 designates a shift handle composed of the flat baseportion 198 which is secured to the central upper portion of the backwall portion 180 of the chute 178. Extending from the base portion 198is the handle portion proper 200. The base portion 198 of the handle 196is formed with a series of spaced threaded holes 202 which receive thethreaded pin 204. The pin 204 when secured in position in one of theholes 202 extends through the slot 59 of the shift arm 58.

g The wall 180 of the chute 178 is provided with the three dimpleformations 206, 208 and 210. The clips 188 and 4 190 engage with thedimples 208 and 210 or 206 and 208, as illustrated particularly in aleft or right discharge position.

Operation In using the machine A the motor 34 is started and through themechanism described the shaft 22 is rotated. Let it be assumed that theshift handle 196 is in an upright, neutral, vertical position as inFIGURES 1, 3, 4, 5, whereby the discharge chute 178 is in a horizontalneutral position as in the same figures of the drawings. In thisposition the shift arm 58 is in a vertically disposed position. Also inthis position the rubber driving discs 30 and 32 are both out of contactwith the bevelled driven disc 110, FIGURE 3, and the rotary fan 114 istherefore not rotating.

With the operator standing at the rear of the machine, and it is desiredto throw snow to the left of the machine looking forward, the shifthandle 196 is moved to the right as indicated in FIGURES 2 and 7. Thechute is then directed to the left. As a result of the movement of thehandle 196, the pin 204 is moved to the left in an are about the pivot186, and it bears against the side of the upper slot 59 of the shift arm58 which pivots the arm 58 to the left on pin '61 secured to mountinglug 60. As a result of the pivoting of the arm 58 to the left, FIG URE7, the side edge of the slot 56 bears against the pin 54, FIGURE 12,which acts as a pivot thereby forcing the bar 84 to the right on itspivot pin 86 relative to the fixed bar 50. Such movement results in apivotal movement of the lower bracket 78 to the right, FIGURE 5, on thepin 82 relative to the lug 80. As a result, the frame 14, including thesupports 10 and 12, and the mem bers connected thereto, are pivoted withregard to the frame 64 and the members connected thereto. Further, oneaxis of pivotal movement of the arm 58 is the pin 54 and the pin 61 actsthrough lug 60 and the portion 62 of the frame 64 to impart angularmovement to bracket 84 whereby frame 14 is pivoted relative to frame 64.Put another way, there is relative angular move ment between the frame14 and the frame 64 mounting the disc and, as a result, the bevelledportion of disc 32 is brought in contact with the bevel of the drivendisc 110, causing the disc 110 to rotate counter-clockwise, looking fromthe rear, FIGURES 7 and 9. As a further result, the blower 114 isthereby rotated counter clockwise, looking from the rear, and the blades116 of the rotary fan 114 pick up and throw snow into the chute 178,which directs it to the operators left.

When it is desired to stop the fan 114, the handle 196 is returned to avertical position of FIGURE 4, thereby moving the driving disc 32 out ofcontact with the dliven disc 110, and in this position the disc 30 isalso free of disc 110, FIGURE 3.

If it is desired to throw snow to the right of the operator, the shifthandle 196 is moved to operators left, as indicated in FIGURE 6. Thechute then directs to the right. As a result of the handle movement, thepin 204 is moved to the right and it bears against the side of the slot59 of the shift arm 58, which pivots the arm 58 to the right. As aresult of the pivoting of the bracket arm 58 to the right, the side edgeof the slot 56 bears against the pin 54, thereby pivoting the bracket 84to the left on its pivot pin 86. Such movement results in a pivotalmovement of the lower bracket 78 to the left on lug 80, FIG- URE 5, onthe pin 82. As a result, the frame 14, including the supports 10 and 12and the members connected thereto, are pivoted with regard to the frame64 and the members connected thereto; or in other words, there isrelative angular movement between the frame 14 and the frame 64 mountingthe disc 110. As a result, the bevelled portion of disc 30 is in contactwith the bevel of driven disc 100, causing the disc 110 to rotateclockwise, looking from the rear, FIGURES 6 and 8. As a further result,the blower 114 is thereby rotated clockwise, looking from the rear, andthe blades 116 of the blower pick up and throw snow into the chute 178,where it is directed to the operators right, FIGURE 6.

As the unit is used, wear will occur on the bevel clutch discs 30 and32; and, as a result, engagement with the disc 110 will become lesspositive and with enough wear, impossible. To provide for this wear, aform of minor adjustment take-up is provided, which is accomplished bymoving the pin 204 into a hole 202 at a point below the previous holeused. The lower the hole 202 used, the greater the angular travel of theshift arm 58 when the handle 196 is shifted; and, as a result, thegreater the resulting angular movement of the brackets 78 and 84- andthe consequent relative angular differential between the frame 14 andthe frame 64. The greater the angular differential, the greater theextent of movement of either of the discs 30 or 32 towards the disc 110.A major adjustment may be made by moving the pin 82 rearwardly in theslot 212 of the lug 80, securing the pin 82, and then moving the pin 204to the uppermost of the holes 202. Movement of the pin 82, as above,moves the members 30 and 32 towards the member 110.

It will thus be seen that with a simple single movement of the handle196, the chute direction is changed and also the direction of rotationof the blower is changed to coincide with the chute.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for removing snow, first frame means having wheel meansmounted thereon, an axially fixed transverse shaft rotatably carried bysaid first fname means, a pair of driven cone-shaped friction clutchdiscs mounted on said transverse shaft, second frame means pivotallyconnected to the forward end of said first frame means, a longitudinalcentral shaft rotatably carried by said second frame means, a thirdcone-shaped friction clutch disc attached to said longitudinal shaftengageable with said driven clutch discs, a snow-collecting casingmounted on said second frame means, a rotary blower connected to saidlongitudinal shaft and positioned within said casing, a discharge chutepivotally mounted on said casing, hand control means connected to saidchute and said casing for pivoting said chute and simultaneouslyreversing the direction of said blower, and means engageable with saidcontrol means and said first and second frame means for changing theangular relationship between said first and second frame means to causeeither of said pair of clutch discs to bear against said third clutchdisc to rotate the latter in one direction or the other to therebyrotate said blower in one direction or the other, while positioning saidchute in correspondence with the rotational direction obtained in saidblower.

2. A power snow blower including a mobile frame, a unidirectionalaxially immobile horizontal rotatable shaft transversely mounted in saidmobile frame, a pair of axially spaced right circular truncated drivingcones each carried on opposite ends of said shaft equidistant from thelongitudinal axis of said mobile frame, said cones each having spacedvertical ends parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis ofsaid mobile frame connected by an angular driving surface, the drivingsurfaces of said cones substantially facing each other and being inradial register with each other, a blower frame pivotally secured tosaid mobile frame forwardly of said driving cones, a blower housingsecured to said blower frame, a bi-directional rotatable blower shaftcarried by said blower frame normally coaxial with the longitudinal axisof said mobile frame, rotatable snow blowing means mounted on theforward end of said blower shaft within said housing, a right circulartruncated driven cone mounted on the rear end of said shaft, said drivencone having spaced parallel vertical ends perpendicular to the ends ofsaid driving cones and having an angular driven surface normallypositioned in spaced parallel relation to the angular driving surface ofsaid driving cones, a discharge chute movably attached to said blowerhousing, said chute, when in a neutral position, being symmetrical aboutthe central vertical plane of said mobile frame and adapted to deflectsnow to one side or the other when positioned asymmetrical to saidvertical plane, a control handle attached to said chute, and meansconnected to said control handle and said mobile frame for angularlydisplacing said driven cone whereby to bring the driven surface thereofinto working contact with the driving surface of one or the other ofsaid driving cones and simultaneously position said discharge chute intooperational correspondence with the resulting rotational direction ofsaid snow blowing means.

3. A power driven snow blower including a mobile frame, auni-directional transverse axially fixed generally horizontal shaftrotatably carried by said frame, a pair of spaced opposed inwardlyfacing friction drive cones mounted on said first shaft, a blower framepivotally connected to said mobile frame forwardly of said drive cones,a housing carried by said blower frame, a generally horizontalbi-directional longitudinal shaft forward of and intermediate said drivecones rotatably carried by said blower frame, a friction driven conecarried by said longitudinal shaft in a normally closely spaced relationto each of said drive cones, rotary fan structure attached to saidlongitudinal shaft within said housing, a discharge chute pivotallyconnected to said housing, said discharge chute being movable fordeflecting snow from one side or the other of said blower, control meanspivotal with said chute and engageable with said blower frame for movingsaid driven cone into engagement with one or the other of said drivecones and simultaneously positioning said discharge chute with respectto said housing whereby the snow is deflected according to therotational direction irnparted to said fan structure upon the engagementof one of said drive cones and said driven cone.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein guide means and biasing means areprovided for releasably holding said discharge chute in a selectedposition corresponding to the rotation of said fan structure.

5. In a power driven snow blower, an elongated mobile ground engagingframe, an axially fixed uni-directional generally horizontal transverseshaft carried by said mobile frame in spaced relation to the ground, afirst clutch member carried on one end of said transverse shaft, asecond clutch member carried on the other end of said transverse shaft,said first and second clutch members being generally frusto-conical inshape each having inwardly facing axially spaced tapered clutchingsurfaces of equal radius, vertically spaced longitudinal central supportmembers pivotally carried by said mobile frame forwardly of saidtransverse shaft, a pear-shaped backing plate transverse to the longaxis of said mobile frame secured to said pivotal support members, saidbacking plate having an upper apex coincident with the long axis of saidmobile frame, a central longitudinal bi-directional shaft carried bysaid pivotal support members, a third clutch member carried by saidbi-directional shaft, said third clutch member being generallyfrusto-conical in shape and having a tapered clutching surface normallypositioned in closely spaced parallel relation to the clutching surfacesof said first and second clutch members, a collector housing secured tosaid backing plate, a symmetrical discharge chute pivotally mounted onthe apex of said backing plate, said discharge chute having a curvedside sheet adapted to form with said backing plate and said collectorhousing discharge scroll means adapted to direct snow to one side or theother of said mobile frame according to the angular positioning of saidchute with respect to said backing plate, a rotary impeller havingradial blades carried by said bi-directional shaft within said collectorhousing, a pivotal linkage assembly connecting said backing plate andsaid support members openable to displace the clutching surface of saidthird clutch member into frictional engagement with one or the other ofthe clutching surfaces of said first and second clutch members, and acontrol handle movable with said discharge chute pivotally connected tosaid pivotal linkage assembly for positioning said chute into adischarge scroll position with respect to-s-aid backing plate and saidcollector housing while simultaneously bringing said third clutch memberinto engagement with one of said first :and second clutch members, theresulting rotation of said impeller being in operational correspondencewith the selected position of said discharge chute.

6. In a power driven snow blower, a mobile firame, a pair of spaceddrive clutch discs rotatably mounted on said mobile frame, means fordriving said drive clutch discs, a blower frame pivotally connected tosaid mobile frame, a driven clutch disc-rotatably mounted on said blowerframe, a housing mounted on said blower frame, a rotary fan blowerconnected to said driven clutch disc and positioned for rotation withinsaid housing, a discharge chute pivotally connected to said housing,means for changing the angular relationship between said mobile frameand said blower frame upon the pivotal movement of said discharge chuteto cause either of said pair of drive clutch discs to bear against saiddriven clutch disc to rotate the latter in one direction or the other tothereby rotate said rotary fan in one direction or the other whilepositioning said discharge chute in correspondence with the rotationaldirection imparted to said rotary fan. 7. The device of claim 6 furthercharacterized by means for regulating the degree of change of angularrelationship between said mobile frame and said blower frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,577,561 'Chiles Mar. 23, 1926 1,665,685 Oadwell Apr. 10, 19281,696,592 Carless Dec. 25, 1928 2,269,326 Wandscheer Ian. 6, 19422,518,622 Ingersoll Aug. 15, 1950 2,732,638 Leufvenius Jan. 31, 1956

